We have received feedback on this issue from people all across America. Review the graph to the left for a quick snapshot of the responses received to date, or read the responses below.

... am fairly happy ...

September 17,2003

Odd how on the program tonight it seemed that the woman and two men who had the final word on the program tonight said the younger generation was partially to blame (with our short attention spans and listening to Brittany Spears) yet while the form asks from my name, location, and gender but not age... 18 by the by. I completely agree, not passionate enough to mark strongly agree, but since I haven't bothered to order cable in six years I feel that I am too ignorant to make a fair decision. It does seem that stations like nbc, fox, and wb do compete for the best reality-dating show... sometimes it is hard to tell what you are watching. Oh well. I am fairly happy with my local PBS station. I wish it would show more international programing as they do in San Franciso and pocekts of Virginia but that is completely off topic.

... CNN and BBC daily ...

September 17,2003

I read CNN and BBC daily. I am progressively suprised when their headlines align. This testifies to a loss of diversity but not it's causes. Decisions on focus and content must happen. I believe that a diverse group of owners would simply make selections with variety bias. Lack of diversity and/or market-based foci likely limits news to broad national markets. Net result is limited perspective and limited exposure to the reader/listener/watcher.

... free speech suffers ...

September 17,2003

That the conglomeration of news organizations have created less competition and diversity is troubling, but of even greater concern is the loss of true, unbiased reporting and the exchange of dissenting opinions. When 'Big Business' controls the lion share of the media market, free speech suffers and we as Americans allow those in control to dictate restrictions on our freedoms! Information is power! Media consolidation not only erodes our access to free and accurate information but stringently narrows our preception of who we are, as a nation, and how we view and interact with our neighbors on this planet. The FCC ruling to increase ownership of media access imperils the very best of what our founding fathers invisioned for our country.

... showing disrespect ...

September 17,2003

In regard to the Dixie Chicks statement, made in England, about President Bush, I was taught 33 years ago in college that the rights and privileges that we as Americans have under the United States Constitution DO NOT protect us when we travel to a foreign country. Whatever their opinion is of the past, current or future President is their own business. Expressing that opinion in a foreign nation is showing disrespect to the United States. Ms. Toomey's comments about the Dixie Chicks being protected by the First Amendment while in England are incorrect.

... one outlet ...

September 17,2003

One large company should only be able to own one outlet in any given market and that includes newpapers, radio, and televison, in my opinion.

... majority market ...

September 17,2003

The problem with big news is that they are part of big media, whose goal is the profit margin and ratings. The easiest way is to cater to the largest market brackets, the one "majority" opinion, or two "partisan" opinions. The problem is not so much the number of large corporations (does 5 big news stations mean 5 different opinions? no), as their incentive to provide to the diverse and local communities of America, rather than the majority market share.

... media giants ...

September 17,2003

Less competition? Perhaps it's only that there are fewer competitors. Competition among the media giants is fierce for the viewer share since advertising dollars are at stake. I prefer viewer-supported PBS.

... small stations ...

September 17,2003

What do you mean by few years? if you talking 10 years, they are the same people who are buying each other. 30 or 40 years ago there was those small stations but, that does not mean that you got the truth. You going to get what the owners want to express their opinion on us.

... more diversity ...

September 17,2003

I believe that in spite of the growth of big news organizations, there is more competition and more diversity, not as a by-product, but as a result of technology, such as the Internet and Satellite. Now, I can go to a number of sources locally, nationally, and internationally to find information and seek out more in-depth analysis. I may have to be more savvy about using a critical eye, but I have much more access to information than ever before.

... reclaim the news ...

September 17,2003

I think that the public needs to reclaim the news, and further, the mental, environmental landscape. We (North American society) have been progressively conditioned to believe what we see on television, and thus the news, and I believe it is more than due time to take back our mental enironment, one way being through media.